Finally the body can stay on when I am starting with the pullstart! Also tuning the low-speed-needle is possible with the body on. I really don’t know why I did not do this with the old body! Let alone the pinch test requires me to fumble a around a little to get my fingers to the fuel-line… I am already thinking on that one, too.

Let me put it this way: my first TRX 3.3 is history. After multiple problems during my last sessions I finally managed to blow my first nitro engine ever. No regrets, no remorse, I do exactly know why it has happened. The Motorsaver airfilter I switched to has been the main factor – I did not really compensate enough for the increased airflow by richen up the HSN enough. The engine just over-revved (though I had plenty of blue smoke all the time). The glow-plug showed it afterwards: there was nothing left in the glow plug every last bit of the glow-wire melted away and fell into the cylinder which ultimatley caused the engine to go very high on rpm and thus (not breaking) but severly damaging the connecting rod connection to the piston.

I will send the engine to Traxxas to make use of the ERP they offer. At least I will get a new engine at half the price! Luckily I have a spare engine in my stock so I will be mounting it and do the break-in very soon.

No pictures taken – the sight was just too sad, I just want to remember this failure literally literally.

Well… I broke my first header today. I think it has been broken for a longer time though. I did indeed experience some fuel flow and tuning issues the last session which now seem obvious due to a possible leaking situation well before yesterday…

Thing is that the hot exhausts of the engine (I kept running for a minute or so with the broken header before I noticed) melted the EZ-Start plastic housing away a good deal. I’m yet to disassemble it and check if its innings have suffered as well.

Also ripped my glow plug wire – I used the first of the new Traxxas 3232X glow plugs (they had a minor design update concerning the tip of the plug where the glow plug wire connects) and after running I were not able to pull off the wire without distorting and thus damaging the wire… talk about a firm fit!

Stay tuned for a new video – featuring Mantis in air.

The rest of the action has been recorded in 160 by 120 pixels by fault thus is not really watchable 😦